Hammer Throw

Aim and method:

to hurl a ‘hammer’ (a heavy ball attached via a length of wire to a metal handle) as far as possible.

Athletes compete by gripping the handle with both hands and keeping their feet still, whirling the ball around in circles above their head. They then spin their body around three times to give even greater speed to the ball and release it upward and outward.

Equipment:

The head (ball) can be made of solid iron, brass or any metal harder than brass. It can also be made from a shell of these metals and filled with lead or other material. It is smooth and round and with a minimum diameter of 110mm for men and 95mm for women.

The steel wire attaching the head to the metal handle can be from 1.175 to 1.215 m in length. The wire must not be able to be stretched.

It weighs at least 7.26 kg for men and 4 kg for women (the same as the shotput).